Hi Guys is Cian
Today we were in Tuen Mun(屯門). Please enjoy with a cup of coffee while reading:)
October was a good month for my coffee adventure. One Saturday, I found out that there was a good cafe! Even though it was raining, didn’t stop me. Walking from the Tuen Mun West Rail station to the Cafe Heato was far away. However, there were lots of things to see within the district. Therefore, I decided to take a walk!
Tuen Mun, you cannot believe it, could date back to the Neolithic age for people to settle. There were historical records in the Tang Dynasty that Tuen Mun was a Military harbor. This is one of the main harbors for China that connected the maritime Silk Road to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and the Arabian Penisula till Europe. Guangzhou was the hub in the Tang Dynasty for foreign people to do business with China’s businessmen. Through Chinese literature, we can see how spectacular Tuen Mun was by Han Yu.
《贈別元十八協律詩》
峽山逢颶風, 雷電助撞捽, 乘潮簸扶胥, 近岸指一發, 兩巖雖云牢, 水石互飛發, 屯門雖云高, 亦映波浪沒
The other name for Tuen Mun is the Castle Peak; with height 583m. With a castle liked mountain situated in Tuen Mun, it was being called Castle Peak. With the mountains surrounding the city, like a door protecting the inside out! Therefore it was called Tuen Mun and Castle Peak.
Tuen Mun San Hui and San Hui Village are different! The San Hui Village is people who lived in the past, due to the reconstruction of Tuen Mun, moved to the current location. While San Hui, is a commercial, residual area. The origin of San Hui Village was located in the Castle Peak Bay. Later, people gathered in this village and became a village with more than 100 surnames! It became a commercial hub due to geographic advantages. There was even a bank found in San Hui!
Real estate companies, owning the commercial and shopping centers, take the responsibility to develop and makes profits for the shareholders! Whether those buildings, restaurants or even memories are valuable depended on who those people are; the question we should ask ourselves is things that are going to conserve for the next generation. What do you want them to be? Especially those old buildings, with half of the century, is not just memory but even more is the identity.
The closest light rail station to the Cafe Heato is the San Hui station. Talking about the Cafe Heato, this is like a dream! Is a Dream Cafe! You will nod your head saying this is a coffee adventure. This is a small cafe, with limited space. The Sea Map is the name of the cafe! Heato is homophonic from Cantonese. His dream is the accumulation of all those customers and the time of hea which in Cantonese means relaxing of time. Coming from a normal family like you and me and having dyslexia, his family and his life was not easy. The burden that her mom was taking changed the way he thinks and later with 800 Hong Kong dollars, went to Australia for a working holiday. He is not rich but rather having the time to think the path he will walk.
Happy birthday from his mom drove him to make a decision – having his own cafe and take care of his family. The dream cafe is from a foreigner. Coffee is the drink that wakes you up. Amen had to keep himself awake, and following others to buy coffee is what he could do. He knew nothing about English; so the only choice will be buying the same cup as the previous customer!
When he was back to Hk, he saved 100 thousand dollars after working for sometimes. Unluckily, that was not enough. He tried to ask his neighbors. People see him as a crazy man walking around! Luckily, David his high school friend, and two elderly, with a total of 450 thousand dollars helping him. They were here to support people’s dream! Blogging and sharing of his own story are how he advertised himself! Seven colleagues were being hired. This is like the one-piece, crew members are joining the team.
I am a Yirgacheffe lover and so when I arrived at a new cafe, I will ask for a cup of Yirgacheffe. Blueberry with the sweetness passing from the tip of the tongue to the back of increasing acidity. Medium body with a light dark color. Please come and enjoy yourself! This cafe is a must go cafe as you are not drinking a cup of coffee, but a belief of yourself! At last, never give up!
As I believe, there is always a story behind and stories are how we connect with each other! I would say, for dreams to happen not just hope! I will see you guys in my next article!!
P.S
The song that I was listening while creating: Supper Moment!
Supper Moment: Pop Rock band influences a lot of people in Hong Kong. Found in 2006 and performed without people knowing them till 2009. Enjoying the supper with special someone is what Hong Kong people need! This is the origin of the name! They are well known by people around Asia with all their hard work and endurance! Let’s enjoy together the song: 無盡
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Hi Cian!
Enjoyed reading this entry! Even though I don’t have a cup coffee with me. I really liked how you added a touch of history and background regarding the coffee shop; how and where it was built, which makes the place more intimate and special.
Ready for the next coffee adventure!
Hi Jander,
Thank you so much for your support! Hope you get the value inside and a falling in love feeling with HK:)
Cian
Wow! Thankfully I got my yummy coffee cup by my side before devouring this piece with love. Its such an interesting and insightful post. I like the way you create intimacy and special attachment to this coffee shop by detailing the trials that led to the establishment of the coffee shop. With pictural backings, I sense that taking coffee in this shop would be close to ecstasy. Nonetheless, I’m calmly waiting for the next adventure.
Hi RoDarrick,
Good places are waiting for you to visit in Hong Kong, and with the connection of its History behind; I believe this might one of the ways people can understand more about Hong Kong through enjoying a cup of coffee!
Aah! Hong Kong! I visited some 20 years ago and loved it! Will all of these beautiful old buildings be maintained? I thoroughly enjoyed the historical run through of the area and Castle Peak photos are delightful. I love coffee. Sitting with a coffee in hand is a relaxing way to spend time with friends and to make new friends.
What city in Australia was this fellow in? I am an Aussie and loved him having to order the same coffee as the previous customer because he couldn’t speak English. I would have to do the same thing in Chinese places for the same reason!
I will look forward to the next coffee. Thank you. Cheers Jill
Thank You Jill!! The place that we live is changing especially in the cycle of economics! Sometimes we have no choice but doing our very best through photos! Good to hear that you love coffee! I would like to connect people with coffee and having a platform to share ideas, culture and more! That is one of the reasons why I like cafe!
He came back long time ago and currently I guess living in Hong Kong. If I get a chance asking him, I will let you know. 🙂 Google will help so don’t worry about the language obstacle:)
Very interesting story and enjoyed reading your article. I’m a coffee lover and enjoy it much in the mornings. How do people in Hong Kong like their coffee? I’ve always thought that more people in countries outside of the USA, enjoyed tea rather than coffee.
Cafe Heato seems like a very interesting place. It seems like you can enjoy a cup of coffee and look at some very interesting stuff inside the cafe. Thanks for taking me there in your article. 🙂 Would love to visit the cafe someday!
Give Me Five Evie!! I believe we can talk for nights about coffee! I enjoy both in the morning and at night if I have to write on my website. Although minority of people in Hong Kong likes Coffee, the number of people who likes coffee is increasing. When specialty coffee arrives, our mind explodes! That is why I like to visit small café as each café have their own techniques to brew a cup of coffee for you! It really is an adventure to me! Tea is still our flavor but we also fall in love with coffee too as of the unique flavor and aroma.
There are lots of interesting stuff inside! If you have time, a chit chat with the owner will help understanding more about the cafe and reason having this cafe!